


Matchmaker, Matchmaker...

by grievousGrimalkin, HelloMyNameIsEd



Series: The Lives and Times of Gimbles-In-The-Wabe [2]
Category: Elder Scrolls Online
Genre: F/M, Fic-ified RP, Love Triangles
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-24
Updated: 2017-02-24
Packaged: 2018-09-26 17:11:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,454
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9912707
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/grievousGrimalkin/pseuds/grievousGrimalkin, https://archiveofourown.org/users/HelloMyNameIsEd/pseuds/HelloMyNameIsEd
Summary: While he's working hard to get his Dunmer friends to hook up, Gimbles-in-the-Wabe stumbles across a love triangle brewing between Tarveth, Willow, and their Nord friend, Brin.  When his meddling blows up in his face, Gimbles does everything in his power to put it right.A fic-ified recounting of an RP session Gimbles had with @HelloMyNameIsEd, @ShoutFinder, and @Weeping.Willow





	1. Chapter 1

“Oh, Gimbles…he has my heart in stitches,” Willow sighed wistfully under her breath.

The dapper Argonian fellow in a green suit stood by the fire at the center of the Ghost Sea Trading Company’s Ebonheart Chateau, strumming a lute as he and the elegant Dunmer woman beside him carried on a conversation in hushed tones.  Across the fireplace, two of their friends, the burly Nord Brinsingr and the Dunmer Tarveth, clashed in a series of practice duels in the Chateau’s makeshift arena.  Willow’s eyes longingly followed Tarveth as he darted around the room, leveling swings of his greatsword at his opponent who was clearly throwing the matches deliberately as he danced around barehanded and bare…well…everything’d.

Gimbles-in-the-Wabe nodded thoughtfully, used to Brin running around naked or nearly so.  “I know.  I’m sorry he’s such a reluctant little shit.”

“It wouldn’t be so frustrating if Brin hadn’t already proposed twice.”

Gim’s strumming faltered. “Wait… Really?”  Willow nodded silently and looked down into the fire.  “Damn, and I thought Tarv was oblivious…how the fuck did I miss that?

Willow chuckled lightly.  “I honestly have no idea, but I’m just so confused about everything right now that I think having no idea about things is to be expected of me.”

The two stood in silence except for the lute-strumming that Gim had resumed. 

“So what have you told Brin?”

“That I need time to think.  Which is the truth.  He is very kind, but…”  Willow trailed off, and the silence resumed.

“But he’s not where your heart is.”

Willow looked up from the fire at Gim, her eyes misting a little. “Yes…Yes, and I don’t think I could have brought myself to say it if you hadn’t.”

Gimbles nodded with a smile.  “I’ll do what I can to help you, my dear.  I just want you guys to be happy.”

Willow wrapped an arm around his back and rested her cheek on his shoulder, watching the fight again.  “I want him…but wish for him to want it too.”

Gimbles laughed a little.  “Oh, trust me: I’m pretty damn sure he does.  He just has no confidence in himself, which sucks because he really is a decent grayskin.”

Just then, Brin went down again hard.  Tarveth put his blade away and went over to help Brin up. 

“Alright, friend.  That’s enough,” Tarveth growled as he took the great Nord’s arm.  “Let’s let Willow have her turn, and get this over with.” 

Willow sighed and let go of Gim before stepping around the corner to change back into her armor.  Gim took the lull in the fighting to cross the dueling space for the brightly lit stage against the far wall.  Along the way, he gave Brin a fond pat on the shoulder as the Nord made himself decent before dueling his crush.  Gim took his position on the stage and pulled his lute out again, as Brin and Willow squared up for their duel.  

“Spare me nothing, my dear,” Brin said, still panting from his fight with Tarveth. He grinned a smile so smitten that Gim kicked himself mentally for not catching the love triangle blooming around him earlier.  Tarveth came to take a spot beside Gim on the stage as Willow took the first shot.

“He’s such a puppy,” Gim sighed, shaking his head.

Tarveth shook his head bemusedly, crossing his arms across his chest.  “I feel sorry for him. I know how much he cared for Willow. How much he hoped…” Tarv looked at the wooden planks beneath his feet.  “You know he got himself a Pledge of Mara today?”

Gim nodded with a sigh. “I assumed as much when Willow told me he’d proposed.  We’ve talked it through though… She’s pretty set on a no there.”

On the dueling floor before them, Willow was hesitating after Brin went down the first time.  She helped the Nord to his feet, and he shouted, cheerily, “It’s okay, Willow!  Don’t be afraid to hit me!  I would gladly die for you in battle!  Why not for this too?”  

Tarv sighed, clearly uncomfortable for his poor desperate friend who was letting himself get his ass soundly kicked. “What in Nirn does she see in me?”

Gim laughed, “Fuck if I know, man.  You’re a good person though.  He is too, sure, but I dunno…”

Tarv shook his head, closing his eye and hanging his head. “I’m old. I’m used. I’m guilty of a lot of things.”

Gim shrugged continuing to strum away at his lute. “So’s she. So’m I. So’s Brin.  The guilty and used parts are true for all of us.”

“She’s young, Gim.  For an elf, she’s young. I’m three times her age.”

Gim shrugged again. “Love’s weird.  Haven’t known it in a long time, myself, and I’m honestly not sure I ever really did, but that might just be the trauma talking.”

Tarv glanced at his friend, his voice nervous, “I’m scared, Gim. I don’t know how to be good to her.”

“You do know how to be good to her, you egg,” Gim scoffed as he dropped his lute to his side and squared up to talk sense into his friend.  “Treat her like a damn person. Love her, and be her friend. That’s all it takes, and she’ll love you for it.  Have some self-confidence. If you put her on a pedestal that’s so profoundly better than you, that’s all you’ll ever believe, all you’ll ever see, all you’ll ever do.  Plus, hell, just try it?  Like, if it works out, rad!  If it doesn’t, it doesn’t, and you move on.”  Tarv was silent for a few moments, Gim picked his lute up once more, and both friends resumed watching on as Brin lost again. 

“…What if she wants to marry? I don’t know if I…”

“Doesn’t have to be a thing, and I’m getting the feeling that the fact that that’s where Brin’s taken it already is probably part of the reason she’s looking other places.”

Tarv sighed, “If I try this, you do not push it ahead of time, you hear? You let her and me be.”

“That’s about what she’s told me too,” Gim replied with a smirk.  Tarv exhaled, steeling himself.  “Just give it a shot. It doesn’t have to be the end-all-be-all. If it doesn’t work out, you’re both tough cookies and can handle it, but if it does, you’ll both be happy, and I think that’s worth the risk.” 

The two friends watched the duels roll on in silence, each wincing every time Brin went down, until Willow growled, “I’m done.”

“Friggin… finally,”  Brin sputtered as he fought his way to his feet once more.

Tarveth hopped down from the stage as Gim put his lute away and followed.  The pair crossed the room to where Brin stood, doubled over and clutching his gut.  “Head up, Brin.”

“Ooooh, I don’t feel so good…feel…queasy…”

“Come on, pal,” Tarveth said, taking Brin gently under the arm and leading him to one of the couches along the side of the makeshift arena. “Sit down a bit.”

“Thank you for your gracious losses,” Willow muttered a bit sarcastically with a graceful bow.


	2. Chapter 2

The silence was exasperating.  Once Brin had caught his breath, the four friends retired to the second floor of the Chateau to share some drinks.   Willow and Tarveth now sat opposite each other at one of the tables in the dining area, Willow clearly enjoying the warm, fuzzy sensations from her mead.  Gimbles leaned against the wall in the entrance to the hallway behind Tarveth’s chair, keeping an eye on the exhausted Nord sprawled on one of the bedrolls nearby.  Brin had quickly drunken himself into a stupor and passed out behind the bar, and his friends had to help haul him over to the common sleeping area.

“Say something to her, you dork,” Gimbles whispered as he pushed away from the wall and wandered over toward the balcony opposite them.

Tarveth cleared his throat and grasped wildly for a conversation topic.  “So, Willow…do you…um…have any thoughts for decoration now that you have a home of your own?”

Gim leaned back on the balcony railing and coughed loudly, valiantly resisting the urge to spout a quip about Willow decorating her bed with Tarveth.  Both elves leveled a glare, two eyes playful, one eye daggers, at him across the balcony.  He gasped with mock offense, whispering, “Whaaat?  I didn’t say anything?”

Willow turned back to Tarveth, still smirking at her friend’s antics. “Well…I have been trying to think about it…It seems my thoughts are…far from reach at this point.  Not really sure to go about it.” 

“Maybe start small, just focus on one room at a time,” Tarveth said, falling into the usual rhythms of casual conversation.  “Well…your new home only has two rooms, so that shouldn’t be hard.”

Willow replied, pleased with the conversation resuming its friendly tone. “That is what I was thinking too. I am most focused on my yard. I love my greenery and want to make it lovely. A peaceful place without the fear of the outside life we all fight.  But the rooms…I want my bedroom to hold many memories…and the common area to welcome all.”

Gim groaned over all the jokes he had been advised not to make and climbed over the balcony’s rail, preparing to make the easy drop down to the chateau’s foyer.

Tarv ignored the lizard’s noises and continued on with his conversation, “I think a small forest of pink and white Auridon cherry blossoms would look lovely as a grove in your yard.”

“Oh yes, that’s a beautiful vision!”  Willow replied, with a smile.  Gim sighed to himself and dropped to the first floor of the Chateau, leaving his friends to their conversation.  He approached the dye workbench in the crafting area and set about selecting a new color for his suit, as its current green was getting a little old.

Just as Gimbles settled on a nice red velvety shade for his best suit, he caught the heavy footfalls of a now-conscious Nord, Willow and Tarveth shouting something, and a loud thud as something fell from the balcony and into the manor’s basement.  As something was clearly up, Gim broke away from the dye station at a run and took the stairs in two leaps, only to find Brin sitting tucked into a corner staring at his knees.  As he headed to take a seat beside the somber Nord, Tarveth and Willow reached the foot of the steps.

“You ok, man?” Gim asked as he settled on his knees.

“…no.”

“Can I help?”

Brin closed his eyes, leaned his head back against the wall, and sighed at the ceiling, “No. Unless you can punch Mara and Dibella in the stomach for me. Those two Divines must enjoy playing with me.”

Gim chuckled wryly, “I’m afraid not, my friend.  I’ll keep it in mind though, if the opportunity arises.  But, honestly Brin, which Divine and anti-Divine entities don’t like playing with us?”

Tarveth and Willow both sounded off their agreement, as Willow walked cautiously over and knelt before Brin. 

“Brin…I must tell you something…” Willow began.  The big Nord kept his eyes shut and continued staring at the ceiling. “I…remember of your proposals…and I am sorry.  I…I have different feelings in my own heart.  Please, forgive me?”

Brin sighed and opened his eyes, inspecting the tilework above him as he shook his head.  “I should have seen it coming.  Why’d I think a Dunmer would be interested in an…n’wah like me…”

“N’wah?…no…”

“Now stop, Brin.” Tarveth warned.  Willow rose to her feet to stand beside him.

“Shut. Up.” Brin stood as well, towering over and staring down his friends.  “You don’t know what heartbreak feels like.  I didn’t know, either.  Until now.”

“I do, man.  You’ll live,” Gimbles spoke, rising and attempting to stand between the Nord and the two Dunmer.  

Brin ignored his interruption and forged ahead, “I have died so many times.  I have died in the most painful ways possible. Burned to death.  Eviscerated.  Stabbed. Drowned. Poisoned.  Diseased.  But heartbreak?  Damn if it doesn’t hurt most of all.”  He shoved his way past the trio and stopped briefly at the foot of the stairs.  “Or maybe that’s just the mead talking…honestly at this point, I can’t tell.”

Willow started forward and cried out to him, tears welling in her eyes, “I cannot control my heart, Brinsingr!  Please understand…I never meant…”

Brin cut her off. “I understand, Willow.  One hundred percent…”  As Brin started up the stairs, Gim raced him to the landing, standing with his arms wide trying to block the Nord’s path, but Brin just brushed past him.  

All three of them chased along after the Nord, as Gim called after him, “Brin, gods-dammit, listen to me.  I was violated, I attacked my lover in a fit of terror and pain and was then told by a god that he would give me the power to win my freedom if I pledged myself to him.  The first thing I did with those powers was to kill those who wronged me and to either kill or alienate all of dearest friends in the process.  I know what this shit feels like.  If I can come back from that, you can come back from one girl telling you no.”  The Nord didn’t respond and continued single-mindedly toward the door to the Chateau.

As the door slammed behind him, Willow growled, “Gah, NORDS!”

Tarveth sighed as the three convened near the fireplace.  “He’ll recover.  He’s still young for a human.”

“He fucking better,” Gimbles snarled. “He’s no unstoppable juggernaut if he can’t bounce back from this.

“He shouldn’t have assumed!” Willow wailed, sinking to her knees beside the fireplace.  “I just…have always felt different than he…I hope someday he will find his way.”

“He’s got plenty of life left, and there’s plenty of lizards in the swamp.” Gim came over and knelt beside her, wrapping an arm around her back in a gentle hug. “We’re definitely not blaming you, Willow.  Please never assume that we are. I just want to make sure that’s clarified outright.”

Tarveth, still standing, crossed his arms across his chest, nodded, and said with a hint of a smirk, “For once, Gim, you’ve said something sensible. Thanks.”

“I say lots of sensible things; you’re just too dim to see them sometimes,” Gimbles shot back.

The trio just settled into an exhausted silence when a small grey Argonian lass, Gim's friend Slinks, suddenly burst through the front door of the Chateau and stumbled over to Gimbles, grabbing him by his lapels. “GIM, HOLY SHIT, YOU WON’T B’LIEVE WHA’S GOING ON IN MOURNHOLD!”  

Gimbles, Tarveth, and Willow shared a look, before Tarveth leveled a dead-pan question at the young Argonian.  “Brin?”

“How’joo know?” the teetering lizard panted. as Gim grabbed her waist and made her take a seat before she fell headlong into the fireplace.  Gimbles rose to his feet and started toward the door.  

“I’ll check on him,” the Argonian sighed.  “I doubt he wants to see either of you right this instant.”

“Make sure the boy doesn’t do anything stupid, Gim,” Tarveth called after the reptile as he headed for the door.

“Don’t I always?” Gim called back with his trademark smirk as the door swung closed behind him.


	3. Chapter 3

The Nord’s angry shouting echoed off of Mournhold’s high walls.  “Come now! Surely someone wants to try and kill me!  Bring it on!  I fear nothing, you pansies!”  

Gimbles sighed and brushed the jeweled bangle affixed to his snout.  “I love how I’m a parent now,” he muttered.

“What’s he doing?” came Tarveth’s voice in his ear, projected by the enchanted trinket. 

“You Undaunted milk-drinkers!  You wanna go?  Bring it!”

“Well, apparently, he’s yelling at people to kill him…” Gim sighed and began to shake his muscles loose before drawing his blade. “So, I think I know what I gotta do.” 

“Coward!  Show me what you have!” the Nord screamed.

“Oh, for fuck’s sake,” came Tarveth’s exasperated sigh in Gim's ear.

Brin continued bellowing, “Is this the best Mournhold has to offer?  Can’t even kill a single Nord?  Fight me, dammit!”  

Gimbles snuck up behind the screaming brawler and struck him with the flat of his blade, just hard enough to get Brin’s attention.

“NOT YOU!” the Nord shouted, darting away from his only challenger thus far.

“Yes, fucking me!” Gim hissed back, keeping close behind Brin.

“It will never end!  Just like last time we dueled!  I don’t want to fight you again, Gimbles.”  The last time Brin and Gimbles had dueled, dark anchors had dropped around them twice before they finally decided to call it a draw.

“Then, _you’re_ a coward!” Gimbles spat.  

Just then, a challenger decided to take Brin up on his offer and leveled a spell squarely into his breastplate, knocking the Nord back. Gimbles dodged nimbly to the side to avoid the teetering Brin.  Thanks to the heat of his mood, Brinsingr’s fighting style was erratic, frenzied, and exactly not what it needed to be to tackle this particular assailant.  Despite the few wild swings he managed to land, Brin went down hard and fast.  The perks of being soul-less, however, included the ability to come back from death with the proper infusion of life energies, so Brin was promptly back on his feet, spitting out blood and laughing.

“Well done!  Come at me!  Another!” Brin cheered, beating his chest with his free hand.

“I hope you’re happy now, you angry Nord fuck!” Gimbles called from behind him.

“I AM!  The pain is my friend now!”  Brin shouted, manically.  

Gim closed the distance and swung another bash against Brin’s back.  “Fucking stop it, you colossal asswipe!”

“You want to go, you… _ **FUCK**_!  FINE!”  

From behind the pair, a stunned voice gasped, “Oh gods, he never curses!”  Gim quickly glanced over and saw that Tarveth and Willow had followed from the Chateau, and both now stood some distance off.  

“Oh, _I’m_ the fuck?!”  Gimbles hissed impudently, returning his gaze to the Nord as he readied his sword and braced himself.

“Dammit, Brin, stop this!” Tarveth pleaded from the sidelines, though Brin didn't hear him.

“I. AM. ANGRY!  The pain is my friend now!” Brin repeated, spitting more blood at the ground.

“I’m angry too, you dumbass Nord!”  Gim screamed, brandishing his blade.  “Pain is my constant companion, you fucking tit!  I am constantly on fire.  Every inch of me burns at every gods-damn moment!”

“Oh boo hoo, you sorry sack of scum! Do you want a tissue?”

“That’s the biggest fucking reason I don’t swing any damn way, dumbass!  Touch is agony to me! You’re a lucky fuck to even have that as a damn option! There’s other lizards in the swamp, you selfish fucking ass!”

“Fuck you, I only wanted the one! Now are we going to do this or not?”  Gim launched himself at the Nord, a flurry of bladework against the frenzy of Brin’s maul.

“She doesn’t want you,” Gim growled as their weapons clashed.  “So grow the fuck up.”

“I’m not blaming her!” Brin snarled back, shoving Gim away from him. “I’m blaming myself!  For not being good enough!”  The pair of fighters continued to lash at one another, the clangs of metal, roars of flame, and taunting shouts reverberating off of Mournhold’s high walls.

“It was never about you, Brin!” Willow shouted over the din of battle, to no avail.

Tarveth swore under his breath, “S’wit’s out of his head.”

Willow nodded. “We may be here awhile.”

Tarveth leveled her with a gaze, equal parts sympathy and compassion. “Don’t take this to heart. Brin’s not even the worst I’ve seen. Nords take their women very seriously—wolves, even more so.”  He looked back at the combat still rolling before him and sighed.

At nearly the same moment, the two warriors both spat taunts at each other.

“Let me know when you’ve had enough, you cock!”  Gim shouted, adjusting his grip on his blade as he readied another slash at his opponent.

“Had enough, you fuck?” Brin swore, drawing another gasp from Willow, as he struck at his Argonian friend.  “You’re a crappy Dragonknight, and you smell!”

“Well, you’re a crappy whiner fuck who needs to grow the fuck up!” Gimbles taunted back, punctuating it with a vicious swing of his greatsword.

Brin parried the strike and knocked Gim back with a powerful blow from his maul.  “You do, you immature ass! I’ve seen children who are more mature than you, you ill-born gutter rat!”  

“I am grown the fuck up, and the fact that I’m here, fighting on behalf of people who aren’t even me, is proof of that, you ignorant shitheap!” Gimbles bellowed, righting himself and preparing for his next strike.

Willow dropped her head with an exasperated sigh, then looked up, full determination, and barked at the fighters, “ALRIGHT!  That’s enough!” 

Willow’s voice snapped Brin out of his bloodlust, and he took stock of his audience, dropping his maul to the dirt by his feet.  “Willow?  Tarv?  When did you get here?”


	4. Chapter 4

“They’ve been watching your entire sorry shitshow, Brin.”  Gim said, amid gasps as his body continued mending itself, and the crushing pains of Brin’s strikes were being quickly replaced with the blazing heat that always followed new injuries.  He kept his blade still drawn and ready, however, as he knew how powerful Brin was, even unarmed.

“I think we should call it fair and stop,” Willow said, holding her arms wide, imploringly.

“Yes. Snap out of it,” Tarveth growled from his position at the back of the group.

“You have no right to tell me what to do anymore, Tarv,” Brin snarled around the Dunmer woman before him.  “I never asked you to follow me here.”

“Somebody’s gotta watch your ass so you don’t have more deaths to whine about,” Gimbles huffed under his breath, as he put his blade away and crossed his arms on his chest.

Willow stepped between Tarveth and Brin, her arms still wide. “No.  Everyone, shut up.  Did you get it out of your fucking system, Brinsingr?”

“Not quite, I don’t think,” the tall Nord growled, his attention fixed again on the woman before him.

“What shall it take then?” Willow pleaded. “Gimbles came here, to you, to make sure you don’t die, and you still want to fight?  Calm down!”

Brin bellowed at her, “I have to fight because the physical pain is my only hope to drown out this heartache!“

“That never works,” Gimbles chided, shaking his head.  “As someone in constant physical pain, I know that it can’t shut off the emotional pain.” He chuckled wryly and sighed, “So I use snark to cover it.”

“How are any of you in pain?  None of your hearts were just shattered into a million pieces!”

“Pain?  Have you no idea?!”  Willow put her hands on her hips and got right up in Brin’s face.  “Our Tarveth has more pain than all of us right now.”

“Oh sure, Tarveth is in pain,” Brin scoffed at her. “ _HE. IS. UNDEAD!_ ” 

“Oh fuck you, Brin!”  Tarveth shouted from the back

Brin shook his head. “I am not angry at you, Tarveth, so I refuse to reciprocate your cursing.”

Gimbles scoffed, “Well, regardless, I’m sure Willow’s not feeling great right now.  She has to put up with one of her very good friends trying to get himself fucking killed over her saying that she likes you but has other preferences.”

The big Nord glanced at the Argonian standing beside him, and something about what Gim just said dawned on him.  He dropped to his knees on the muddy path, bowing his head to bare his neck.  “Willow, please.  I’m sorry to have wronged you so grievously.  Please.  You must want to kill me for this.  I’m at your mercy.”

Willow crossed her arms on her chest and laughed. “Kill you? Bah. If I wanted you dead, you would know true death.”

“Well, go ahead then.  If I’m going to the Hunting Grounds, then I’d rather you be the one to send me.”  

Gimbles groaned exasperatedly and hissed, “NO MORE KILLING!  There has been enough of that shit and of the extended overwrought bleeding-heart metaphors!”  He leveled a gentle yet frustrated kick at the kneeling Nord’s thigh.  “You’re better than this, you sorry asshole.”

“It’s ok,” Willow reached out a hand to pat Gim’s shoulder. “I have no intention of indulging him.”

“You’re not going anywhere, Brin,” Tarveth spoke, stepping into the semi-circle of his friends that now fanned out before the kneeling Nord.

Willow sighed and knelt before Brin.  “You are my friend.  Our friend.  I hope someday you will see that again.”

“I already see that, Willow.  I told you.  I’m not angry at you. Not at all.  Or at Tarveth.  Or at Gimbles.”

“But at yourself, hm?” Willow replied, nodding.

“Yes, at myself and the Divines,” Brin sighed.

The Dunmer woman chuckled, “At the Divines?”

“Mara and Dibella specifically.  They did this to me…”

“What have they done?”  she scoffed and cocked her head.  “You think they’ll hold your hand and guide you through every little thing?”

“No.  But was I wrong to think they’d be benevolent?…”

“Oh Brin, please stop this,”  Willow pleaded.

The Nord forged ahead, “…instead of putting these feelings in me and then not letting me have them?”

Gimbles chided, “Aw, come on, dude.  If you want Dibella’s favor, I’ll we’ll open a tab for you at the Ebony Flask.  But Mara?  She gives a shit about love, which, honestly?  You clearly have.  In spades.  From all of us, for each other and for you.  So what if it isn’t the fucking kind?”

“Dammit, Gim, it’s not a libido thing!”

Gimbles shook his head. “Doesn’t take out the point about Mara’s domain, Brin.”

“Mara is the goddess of love.  Why would she do this to me?”

Gimbles shrugged. “If you want to ascribe anything to her, ascribe this to her intent to show you the importance of the love of friends, my guy.”

“Don’t be so hard on yourself, dear Brin,” Willow pleaded.

“No,” Brin choked back. “Don’t call me ‘dear’ anymore.  I’m just a friend.”

“A dear friend, numbskull,” Tarveth chided.

Brin shook his head. “I said don’t call me that.”

“As you wish,” Tarveth replied, appeasingly. “Good to know I can still be heard, though.”

The four friends sat in silence for awhile, until Willow eventually broke the silence. “Brin…” 

Brin replied with an unmistakable sniffle, “What do you want?”

She looked down at her lap, intently staring at her hands.“I am sorry I did not tell you of my feelings before.  You’re taking this hard, I know.  Please understand…”

“You could have said no from the start.  I would have understood.”

“She had no clue,”  Gimbles interjected.

“'She had no clue'?” Brin shouted.  “I proposed to her! Twice!”

“I knew of his heart, I admit that.” Willow agreed.

Though he was clearly sore, Gim dropped down to a crouch beside his two kneeling friends, so he could look Brin in the face. “I know that, but she didn’t know her own, Brin.  Take it from somebody who’s had conversations with the other little shits wrapped up in this godsdamn love triangle.  It’s a fucked up mess, but she wouldn’t have been so conflicted if you weren’t a good person, Brin.”

“What?  Gim…What are you saying?”

“She _was_ seriously considering it. and after some thought, she realized that there are other good people in her life too and that she just happens to like one of them in particular.”  The two elves shared a look, and Willow looked in Brin’s waiting eyes and nodded.  “She would have given you an outright no, if you weren’t worthy of consideration.  But she didn’t.  She had to think about it.”

“I thought she was just too nice to say no.”

Tarveth looked down at the cobbles at his feet. “Brin, the last thing I wanted to do was cause you strife.”

“I know,” Brin replied, giving a huge sniff and wiping his eyes.  “You’re a good friend, Tarv.  I can’t be angry with you, and I can’t be angry with Willow, but gods dammit if it doesn’t still hurt, because I do care.”

“Be angry all you like,” Tarveth advised, closing his eye and nodding.  “Don’t harbour the pain.  It’s a bitter companion.”

“It’ll pass,” Gim replied, giving Brin a pat on the shoulder as he rose carefully to his feet.

Brin sighed, “Maybe it will. I wouldn’t know. This is the only time I’ve ever felt so strongly for another.  No Nord woman ever gave me feelings like these.”

“It won’t be the only time,” Tarveth said knowingly.

“Says you,” Brin scoffed.  “You and your infinite wisdom of love.”

“Says me,” Tarveth replied with a nod and half of a smirk.  “I’ve known it, I’ve savored it, I’ve lost from it."

Gim chuckled, “There’s a whole damn continent of non-Nord women out there, Brin. Somebody will tickle your damn fancies, _and_ you’ll be at the top of her list.”  Willow and Tarveth both nodded at this with small smiles.

“Yeah, right,” Brin moaned, rising to his feet. “My confidence is at an all-time low right now.  I don’t think anybody will want me like that.”

“So build it back up,” Gim replied with a shrug.

“How?  I’ve just had my heart broken, and everything feels miserable.”

“I can beat it back into you, if it’ll help,” Gim replied, raising his fists in a mock battle stance.

“I’d like to see you try,” Brin replied with a wry chuckle.

“That’s the spirit!” Gim cheered.

“My shield is like a keep gate!” Brin said, with a smirk.

“Damn straight,” said Gim.

“My armor is like the skin of the mountain!”

“Yes, Brin!” Willow nodded, glad to see the budding return of her dear friend’s confidence, as Brin offered her a hand to help her up.

The Nord looked down at Willow’s small gray hand in his. “But my heart is soft and vulnerable.”

“It’s when it isn’t either of those two things that you should be worried,” Tarveth replied, stepping closer to lay a hand on his shoulder.

Gim cuffed Brin gently on the opposite shoulder. “It was your soft heart that gave her pause, my guy.  It’s what made you worth consideration.”

Willow nodded, giving Brin’s hand a gentle squeeze. “You are a loving man with beautiful intention.  Do not lose that gift.  You will find your lass.”

“Yes, but when?” Brin sighed.

“Too soon to say for sure, Juggernaut,” Gim said with a knowing nod.  “But hope’s a thing.  A very good and freeing thing.”

Brin was silent for a moment.  “Does this mean I need to run around yelling that I’m desperate now?”  The four friends broke into peals of laughter, and even Tarveth acquiesced to a brief bear hug from the Nord as Brin enveloped his friends in his huge arms.

“Nah, man,” Gim replied with a chuckle once he broke free of the hug and pounded Brin on the shoulder again. “I’ll take you to the Flask.”

Brin sighed.  “Dammit, Gim, you know it’s not about that.  I just…want love.”

“I know, I know… Buuuuuut, I’ve heard it’s a great distraction AND self-confidence booster,” Gim said, cracking his prankster grin.  
Tarv shoved Brin playfully with his elbow.  “You have love already, you great idiot.  Love takes many forms.”

“I know,” Brin sighed. “I love you and Gim and…” He cleared his throat, not quite able to bring himself to say her name.  

Gim caught his hesitation and quickly diverted from the unpleasant topic, stepping behind his crew of friends and starting to herd them in the direction of the wayshrine.  “Alright.  Enough moping.  Let’s get out of here. We’re heading to my place.  I put a bigass tree in my living room earlier and am going to show it off now.  Come on, you dorks.”

As the crew set out, the Nord’s longer legs carried him further faster, leaving the two elves and the Argonian to lag a ways behind him. As they walked on ahead of him, Gim watched Willow slip her hand into Tarveth’s and caught his quick, surprised glance to her and the subtle smile that began to play across his face as he gave her hand a fond squeeze, and they crossed through Mournhold’s gates.  Gim smirked a little to himself, pleased despite the beating.  

Mission: fucking accomplished.


End file.
